DIY retailer Homebase.co.uk has been rated the worst online retailer in the UK for 2019, according to the latest Which? annual online shops survey.

Its members said the retailer ignored complaints and that it sold products which were out of stock.

Which? surveyed more than 7,500 members to rate the most popular online shops based on experiences they have had in the past.

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Those surveyed were asked to rate websites for their experiences buying particular items and to consider a variety of factors including value for money, product range, ease of ordering, deliveries and product quality.

Homebase.co.uk achieved a customer score of 57%, while B&Q also fared poorly with the second lowest score of 59%, with shoppers saying its website was difficult to use.

The most highly rated shops in the Which? were all specialist retailers, including RicherSounds.com

Editor of Which? magazine Harry Rose said: “We continue to see the same brands performing poorly in our survey, with some of the bigger retailers offering disappointing levels of service and inferior websites which often seem to run out of stock.

“Our research shows that is you value a genuinely enjoyable shopping experience, then you might be better off with a smaller brand that can offer a more personalised service.”

Commenting on the results a spokesperson for Homebase stated: “Following the sale of Homebase in June 2018, we knew there was work to do to improve the shopping experience for our customers.

“Since then, and as part of our turnaround plans for the business, we have been working hard to bring back the Homebase our customers know and love.

“A big part of this has been improving our website, and we’ve already made hundreds of changes, such as introducing a new ‘search and filter’ function and adding over 16,000 products online.

“While there is still more to do, we now have the foundations in place to ensure we have everything customers need for home and garden projects under one roof,  from ideas, inspiration and advice through to the tools and support to help get the job done.”

A spokesperson for B&Q commented on the findings of the survey: “Our customers shop with us in lots of different ways and their shopping needs depend on whether they’re undertaking a big home improvement project or a smaller fix-up.

“Many use our website to look for inspiration and to research products and prices before coming into store to make a purchase. Many more customers also take advantage of our click & collect service, usage of which has grown year-on-year.

“All customer feedback is important to us and we’re committed to improving our online shopping experience.”

Homebase was also named the worst online shop by Which? in 2018.